Underway

It's been a wild and crazy last few days starting with the startled and blank looks we had when we got to SFO to get on our outbound flight and were asked for New Zealand visas - after a little back and forth, it worked and we landed in Auckland at 5Am on the 30th. Ryan from Shalimar had offered to pick us up and I of course took him up on it, but felt really bad when I realized that picking us up meant driving 2 hours out of his way (and then two hours back with us for a four hour round trip!).

Getting a ride meant that we didn't have to drag over 100lbs of crap through Auckland and that we got back to Opua in time to actually accomplish a few things that day rather than just stumble back on the boat. Most importantly though, we got to spend some time with people that now feel like old friends - Archetheuthis, Dilligaf, Piko and Shalimar are all boats that we spent last season with, and the reunions were pretty sweet.

That was Monday. By Wednesday morning, we'd managed to clean out the boat (no small task - Amanda has some great pictures of all the mold that greeted us, though the boat was in all other ways just as we'd left her), get the bottom cleaned, buy solar panels, buy additional provions, check out of New Zealand and talk with Fijian customs about our arrival. It was pretty hectic and as we sailed out of the Bay of Islands yesterday, I was struck by how different an experience this was from our departure from Mexico. Passage making is starting to feel a little routine, and we know what we need to do - massive thought and mental preparations don't really feel necessary.


One photo is enough to show the kind of mold-covering Britannia grew in our absence.

So we're underway to Savu Savu right now and have spectacular sailing conditions. The seas were big and beamy for the first 12 hours, but are now extremely slight with winds in the 15 to 20 knot range - we've been doing hull speed pretty much for 24 hours straight now.

We're both tired, though I'm finding that I'm sleeping better than I usually do on the first day of a passage - I think there's something to the idea of leaving exhausted. You're going to get exhausted anyhow before you manage to sleep, so you might as well get right to it. Five hours of jetlag doesn't hurt either.

Our time back in the US felt a little dream like, and it's been interesting to feel like I'm snapping out of it since being back. The routine we had at home was ingrained over 10 years, and I think that getting our old jobs back made kept that routine unchanged - it required no thought is I guess what I'm saying. Being on the boat requires lots of thought - dreaming is encouraged as well, but attentiveness is requisite in a way that it's not at home.

Anyhow, it's good to be back. We're missing friends and family back home, but are happy to be back to "real life".

...blast off!

After just a little less than three months, it's time to head back to Britannia tonight.  Thanks to a few much appreciated updates from our cruising friends, we know she's floating and hasn't burned to the waterline.  

People keep asking if we're excited to go back and I often realize that I'm not particularly focused on the excitement part of things. The logistical minutia can be a little too overwhelming, as much as I hate to admit it. The details (How do we get back to Opua?  How do we get on the boat?  How do we check out of customs?  Should we take this weather window even though we'll be tired?  ...and on...) are consuming enough so that I have to take a long deep breath and step back before I can get excited.

It happens though - when we were leaving dinner with the family last night I looked up and realized that the moon was waxing and would be pretty close to full when we're leaving.  I'd lost track of where we are in the lunar cycle; something I hadn't lost track of for the year we were gone.  Moments like that one make me pretty excited to get back to what's starting to feel like real life.

Getting Wired

I've been surprised since we've been back to realize how many people actually read the blog. Blogging is sort of a thankless task really - blasting reports out into the ether is ultimately far less satisfying than just emailing friends and family. But now that I know people are actually reading, I have a little renewed enthusiasm. With that in mind, we're working on getting set up so we can update the blog from the SSB on the boat (actually, we're just figuring out what Lauren Girl already set up for us - thanks Lauren!). The modern world is pretty rad at the end of the day. If this posts, we're wired. It also means our best excuse is now moot, so look for more blog posts this season than last.

We'll be back to the boat around the first of May, and I think we did a pretty good job of leaving her ready to go. We have to provision with fresh stuff, and now that we got a little cash infusion, I'm excited to buy and install solar panels, but otherwise all we have to do is scrub the bottom and then head rhumb line for Fiji.

It's a rough life.

We'll tell you all about it.

-Krister
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At 11/22/2011 8:38 PM (utc) our position was 35°18.69'S 174°14.80'E

Life in the fast lane!

We've been back in the States for a month already! It's been great visiting friends and family. We've been so blessed; I can't imagine things working out any better. Krister and I both have work at our old jobs, Suzy and Grandma Dee have been fabulous hostesses, we found a great house sitting gig in the Oakland hills, the Magnusons have lent us a car to use while we're here... Amazing to have so much support! We love you guys!

Busy Busy Busy

We continue to enjoy all things New Zealand and to share our experiences with our visiting family.
My cousin Lisa visited and we traveled the central north island while the boys drove around and camped in the south island.
Then mid-January, my mom joined us, Rick and Forrest flew home, and we went back to Britannia in the Bay of Islands.

Lots and lots going on! But for those who have not heard yet, Krister and I will be flying back to California to visit and restock our cruising kitty. I'm hoping to catch-up on photo posting and story blogging with the fast free internet while there. So until things slow down, here are a few choice shots to fill you in on how awesome New Zealand has been so far...


The Boys


Dolphins


Waitomo hike with Lisa and Eleanor


The Golden Kiwi!


Lisa on the bow of Britannia spotting dolphins


Mom watching dolphins while sailing


OH and I grew a moustach


Very typical New Zealand hike around the north island


Rotorua Museum; great fun on a rainy day!


Been taking pictures, lots of pictures...


Stalagmites in Aranui cave


Wine Tasting with Lisa and the Laurens in Waiheke


View from Roberton Island, Bay of Islands


Waitomo Caves


Whangarei Falls


Sunset, Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands; hiking, birthday and Christmas

The Bay of Island continues to be great fun; lots of uphill hikes, beautiful vistas, fish catching, sunny sailing and loads of hanging out with family and friends.


Cape Brett light house and hiking trail


the hiking has been some of the beswt I've ever had!



Ca and his first deep sea tuna!



Beach combers


Britannia at anchor


My favorite tree


New Zealand coast, north island

New Zealand, Bay of Islands

After a week in the marina it was nice to get back out; off the dock and on the hook. The days have been rainier than what we would have liked, but it didn't keep us from exploring the beautiful islands in the bay and along the coast. Locals say that the weather has been cooler and wetter than normal. It feels like winter in Northern California to us; which is nice, because I haven't fully warmed up to the idea of Christmas in the summer.

We spent lots of time hiking the many well groomed trails of Roberton & Urupukapuka Islands and Whangamumu Harbor. We've even been able to go for a couple good runs (boy are we out of shape!)I've been crazy for collecting shells and little beach pebbles for beading projects. Krister brother, Janus, has been fishing and finding his sea legs. He's also the leader in finding shiny abalone shells. And Rick, his step-dad, has been enthusiastically reading Lonely Planet guide books and planning our car trip through the South Island. Krister's other brother, Forrest, will be joining us soon to do the car trip with us. When the boys fly home, my mom and cousin fly in, so it looks like we'll be staying busy visiting with famliy through January.

It's been interesting to have visitors aboard, to see through thier eyes how we first felt about sailing and Britannia. Fun to see how much we've learned and changed this cruising season. We used to think "oh we'll just fix that later" or "the quick and easy way is good enough." Well, like Karma, it all comes around in the end. Krister and I have come to embrace that whatever we put off will need to be done eventually so it might as well be sooner than later. To our surprise we've also become quite competent sailors. High winds and swell don't scare us like they used to do. We know what to expect when the weather forecasts 25 knots and 2 meter seas. We've learned ways to prepare and make ourselves more comfotable in rough weather; put in the reef, secure everything below deck, made meals before leaving the anchorage, pump the stinky galley sink, close the thru-hull in the head, have foulies and clothes ready in easy to reach places... and never leave before Amanda's ready ;)

So things are good... photos are coming...
Happy Holidays to all our friends and famliy!